Archives for August 2018

Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies got some tips this week that a man wanted for vehicle theft and other counts was in the area of the Miranda Market.
Deputies located the subject, 40-year-old Dennis Earl Hicks Jr. of Phillipsville, behind the
Miranda Market. He was taken into custody without incident.
Hicks was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on two warrants for the
following charges: vehicle theft, driving with a suspended license and failure to provide evidence
of financial responsibility for a vehicle.

A teen thought to be a drug mule of sorts for a trafficking organization is under arrest. Humboldt County Drug Task Force (HCDTF) Special Agents were conducting an investigation at a residence in the 5200 block of Cummings Road. While HCDTF agents were on scene a vehicle approached the residence and parked in the driveway. The driver, a 17 year old juvenile, was contacted and detained pending further investigation.
An investigator with the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office, along with his narcotic detection K9 partner, was requested and responded to the scene. The K9 alerted to the presence of narcotics inside the vehicle. Agents subsequently searched the vehicle and located a false compartment. Inside the false compartment agents located approximately 1.5 pounds of heroin packaged for sales. The juvenile was booked for possession of a controlled substance for sales, fabrication of a false compartment, and driving unlicensed.
Agents believe the juvenile was employed by a drug trafficking organization to deliver narcotics. If any suspect(s) are identified, child endangerment charges will be sought.

A Hoopa man is under arrest, charged with child molestation counts. Friday morning, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office investigators served a search/arrest warrant
at a residence on the 14000 block of Highway 96 in Hoopa. During the service of the warrant, investigators located 43-year-old Joshua Seth Strange of
Hoopa hiding inside of a closet in the residence. He was arrested without incident.
Strange was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of lewd or
lascivious acts on a minor and oral copulation on a minor. His bail is set at $1.4 million.

The City of Eureka has filed a lawsuit in federal court in the Northern District of California
against the largest manufacturers of prescription opioids in the United States, as well as the
three primary wholesale distributors of prescription opioids in the country. The complaint
alleges Defendants violated California’s Unfair Competition Law and the federal racketeering
statute (“RICO”), and also that Defendants’ conduct constitutes a public nuisance, negligence,
and unjust enrichment under California law.
Opioid-related overdoses are the leading cause of death in the U.S., surpassing fatal car
accidents. Of the 1,925 people who died from opioid overdoses in California
that year, 33 were from Humboldt County.

A man is under arrest after a shots fired incident in Eureka Wednesday. Officers
responded to the area of Summer and W. Washington Streets for the report of shots being
fired from a vehicle described as a black Dodge pick-up. Officers quickly located the suspect vehicle traveling
eastbound on 5 th Street and conducted a high risk felony stop at the 1100 block of 5 th
Street. The driver, Aaron Hooven (47 year old) was detained without incident. A loaded
rifle was visible in the front seat of the suspect vehicle, along with items consistent with
the recent firing of the rifle. Hooven was taken into custody and later booked on charges of shooting at an occupied vehicle and Brandishing a firearm. He is being held on $100,000 bail.

Eureka Police Department has installed a medication disposal bin which offers a free, convenient way for members of the public to safely dispose of old or unused medications, including controlled substances. The bin accepts prescription and non-prescription medicines, controlled and non-controlled medications, and pet medicine. The bin does not accept needles, syringes, or Epi-pens. The bin is located in lobby of Eureka Police Department at 604 C Street and is accessible to the public during regular during regular business hours (Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.). Medications should be removed from the original bottle and placed in a sealed/zipped plastic bag before dropping them into the bin.

A wanted man in Fortuna was cuffed Wednesday morning, sleeping behind a compost barrel at a home on the 3900 block of Rohner Street. 34 year old Pulido Segura of Fortuna was sought on several felony charges related to child sex abuse. Earlier in the week, police had traced him to an area of Rohnerville Road but he had fled the area before a perimeter was set up. Wednesday he was taken into custody without incident.

Investigators say the dock fire in Fields Landing did about $750,000 in damage. It took 15 hours to extinguish and roughly 250 crab pots, in addition to the building were damaged. There were no injuries reported and since there is no electrical service to the building, the fire is suspected to be human-caused.

On Aug. 29, 2018, at about 1:30 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the
1600 block of Bird Ave. for the report of a physical altercation between two housemates.
Upon arrival, deputies learned that the suspect, 37-year-old Thomas Earl Shriver of
McKinleyville, attacked a 42-year-old male victim with gardening shears following an argument.
The victim sustained non-life threatening injuries to his hands and arms, and was transported to a
local hospital for treatment.
Shriver was taken into custody on scene without incident and was booked into the Humboldt
County Correctional Facility on charges of assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm.

The District Attorney’s Office seeks assistance from the community with the apprehension of Silvia Maria Lara Solares (age 29), who has an outstanding warrant for hit and run, reckless driving, and vandalism. Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Christopher Wilson issued the warrant on August 9, 2018, when Solares failed to appear in court for a trial confirmation hearing.
In addition to the outstanding warrant, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office seeks to interview Solares regarding her possible involvement in an identity theft/fraud case and a solicitation to commit robbery.

If you have information regarding Solares’ whereabouts, please contact your local law enforcement agency.